Product Description

Brielle has begun to see the world as it really is, a place her angels intermingle with humans. But just when she thinks she's got things under control, the life she's pieced together begins to crumble. The Prince of Darkness has targeted her and Brielle must use the gifts that she has been given to fight the ultimate battle of good versus evil.

Publisher's Description

Giant angels with metal wings and visible song. A blind demon restored from the pit of darkness. And a girl who has never felt more broken.

Brielle sees the world as it really is: a place where the Celestial exists side by side with human reality. But in the aftermath of a supernatural showdown, her life begins to crumble.

Her boyfriend, Jake, is keeping something from hersomething important. Her overprotective father has started drinking again. And hes dating a much younger woman who makes Brielles skin crawl. Haunting nightmares invade Brielles sleep, and flashes of Celestial vision keep her off kilter.

What she doesnt know is that shes been targeted. The Prince of Darkness himself has heard of the boy with healing in his hands and of the girl who sees through the Terrestrial Veil.

Brielle has no choice. She knows evil forces are converging and will soon rain their terror down on the town of Stratus. She must master the weapons shes been given. She must fight.

After the pleasant surprise I enjoyed reading "Angel Eyes," I hoped the sequel would at least be as good. Author Susan Dittemore met my higher expectations in spades. There was even more colorful creativity, emotional depth, and spiritual meat here than in the previous book, with higher personal stakes, and a finale that left me breathless.

I must stress again how this genre is not my usual cup of tea. But the author was able to persuade even a cynic like me to believe with her amazing prose. It's elegant, emotionally evocative without being self-indulgent. While the heroine's first person voice is solidly youthful, with all the trials and turmoil that come with that age, it never wallows in such feelings. Instead, Brielle is a great character for young girls to read about: willing to admit her own flaws and indecision, able to stand up and take action, vulnerability and strength all rolled into one. Jake's characterization also gains sharper focus as he faces personal loss, doubts, and fears, making his continued faith even more inspiring in the face of such challenges.

But perhaps Dittemore's greatest asset in these books is her willingness to boldly imagine a truly supernatural realm of existence. The angelic beings in this book are wild; even cherubs are awesomely alien, not cuddly. She melds traditional concepts with a vivid imagination to come up with great, sensual concepts of sight, sound, and feeling.

I also have to compliment the author for emphasizing truly great spiritual concepts. Unlike a surprisingly large number of Christian authors, Dittemore believes her characters will only grow in their faith as part of a local body of believers. The chapter where Brielle sees the visual representation of her church's worship is inspiring, as is the girl's realization that these people around possess even greater faith than her since they believe without her second sight. The characters battle their demons, literal and internal, through Scripture and prayer. Dittemore also continues her snarky rebuttal of genre tropes, especially with one brilliant conversation where a friend asks Brielle if they should pray with special words or hold some beads. Brielle shrugs and reminds her they're praying to an invisible God who can hear their very thoughts: no need to impress.

Some readers may not like the ending; I don't believe it's too much of a giveaway to say it's a cliffhanger. But it builds so beautifully into a true climax of everything brought up since the first novel that it's worth it, and even ends with a resolution of a private battle Brielle learns to fight. It also sets up the reader for a truly rousing finale, one which I eagerly anticipate reading. I highly recommend this book as a sequel that is every bit as good, if not better, than its predecessor.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, "Angel Eyes", do so before you consider reading "Broken Wings". This second book picks up where "Angel Eyes" left off. Brille and Jake aren't sure about their future, and with the ring missing and a dagger in its place, does it mean they will go their separate ways? What is the meaning behind the dagger?

As Brille discovers many answers, many more questions rise to the surface. Was her whole life a lie? Why? And what is it with her Dad these days? So much danger and so many questions... This book will keep you on your toes and wanting answers as much as Brille does. Wait until you find out about the secrets that have been kept from Brille and what makes her question those around her!

"Broken Wings" is a fantastic second book to the series. It will keep you turning pages while you seek the answers to all the mysteries surrounding Brille, Jake, and all the angels and demons. Wow!

This series is written for young adults, but it will please the adult audience as well. If you enjoy books where good -vs- evil is the main theme, where the romance isn't overpowering plus a Christian theme runs through the story, and love fantasy genre, you will enjoy this series.

I received this book through the Booksneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

This is the second in this series. Dittemore has not provided any back story in this book, so if you have not read the first one, you will be lost in this one. I read the first one about a year ago and had forgotten so much of that book, this one was often confusing.

The story of Brielle, who can see the spirit realm, and Jake, who has healing hands, continues. Taking part in the action are Shields, angels who take on human form and watch over the humans to whom they are assigned. We are introduced to Sabres, angels with metallic wings, blades instead of feathers. They were the twelve who originally reported to Lucifer himself, when he was Chief Worshiper. They are responsible for leading all of heaven in worship of the Creator. Their presence, through their worship, thins the veil between the Celestial and the Terrestrial.

There is a new influence in Stratus, a woman who has eyes on Brielle's father. And he has started drinking again. Then Brielle finds a serious irregularity with her mother's grave. As the action in the story progresses, the good and evil spiritual beings come into conflict. Birelle is right in the middle of it.

I was not as satisfied with this novel as I was the first in the series. The action in this one just does not seem to move the story along very much. There are too many loose ends at the conclusion of this book. Olivia, the woman who is after Brielle's father seems originally to be a serious aspect of the novel. But in the latter part of the book, she is no longer involved in the story. And then the part about Brielle's mother, her activities before she is "taken," well, I just did not like that. That was not believable to me.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Shannon Dittemore in her new book "Broken Wings" Book Two in the Angel Eyes Trilogy published by Thomas Nelson takes us into the life of Brielle and her fight against spiritual forces.

From the back cover: Giant angels with metal wings and visible song. A blind demon restored from the pit of darkness. And a girl who has never felt more broken.

Brielle sees the world as it really is: a place where the Celestial exists side by side with human reality. But in the aftermath of a supernatural showdown, her life begins to crumble.

Her boyfriend, Jake, is keeping something from her--something important. Her overprotective father has started drinking again. And he's dating a much younger woman who makes Brielle's skin crawl. Haunting nightmares invade Brielle's sleep, and flashes of Celestial vision keep her off kilter.

What she doesn't know is that she's been targeted. The Prince of Darkness himself has heard of the boy with healing in his hands and of the girl who sees through the Terrestrial Veil.

Brielle has no choice. She knows evil forces are converging and will soon rain their terror down on the town of Stratus. She must master the weapons she's been given. She must fight.

But can she fly with broken wings?

"Broken Wings" picks up where "Angel Eyes", book one in this series, left off. Brielle and Jake are now the targets of demons to stop them from using the gifts God gave them. The battle between angels and demons intensifies with humanity in the middle of it all. In the book of Judges Samson said his strength came from his long hair. Brielle and Jake say their power lies in their gifts. All are incorrect-Samson's strength and Brielle's power all come from the same source: God. Once you line up with that thinking then you can use your gifts for the purpose God intended and others will get to see Him also. "Broken Wings" is a wonderful, interesting story with power and depth that will keep you flipping pages. I am most definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"I look more carefully at the angels before us. They're larger than any I've seen before, and brighter. I count them on approach - a dozen - and then I watch them, trying to understand their movements. Light curls around them, tendrils of incense rising into the sky.

"What are they doing?" Jake asks.

"They're worshiping," I say awestruck.

Is there a rhyme or reason to where they've positioned themselves? Some of them kneel, some of them stand staggered across the rock, but the one thing they all seem to have in common is their wings. They're metallic. Not just in color, but in their very construction, it seems. I have an inexplicable need to reach out and touch them, to run my fingers over a single feather.

"They're huge," Jake says. "How tall are they, Canaan?"

"Eight, nine feet." There's no mistaking the amusement in his voice.

We're close now, so close that I can see that touching a Sabre's wing may be the fastest way to lose an arm. I set to examining the nearest one. He's gigantic, like Jake said. And his eyes are pure white, trademark white. Like Canaan's. Like Helene's. He has the celestial gaze of one who'd lay down his life for another. His skin, too, is white, so white it looks almost silver. His muscled arms and chest make Canaan look trim. But as much as I can find things to admire about his physique, it's his wings that so separate him from any other angel I've seen.

Their beauty is staggering, their design inexplicable. Where I expect to see rows and rows of snowy white feathers, one blade lies on top of another - thousands of them - sharp and glistening silver. I can't help but compare each and every one of them to the dagger that pierced my chest this past December. To the instrument of death that bled me dry on a rooftop.

Yet these blades are pristine, polished, organic even. The Sabre adjusts them and they ripple, a trilling tune making its way to my ears. His kinsmen do the same, and the skies fill with music. Loud, warlike, with a tremor of delicate strings woven through it. It's unlike anything I've ever heard. My throat tightens with emotion, and I gasp again and again."

In the second book in the Angel Eyes Trilogy, author Shannon Dittemore pulls back the celestial veil once more to reveal the spiritual realm in her novel Broken Wings. Brielle has been given a unique gift and it's just that gift that has her the target of the darkness in spiritual realm. Now the Palatine, a demonic army is on the move and is now looking to find Brielle and Jake, two humans who have been gifted with divine powers. They now have to do whatever they can to stay one step ahead of the enemy and one they can't risk telling anyone about. After all, how many people do you know that have the ability to see angels and demons when they remain invisible to everyone else?

The author picks up just where we left off in the debut novel Angel Eyes, and Brielle is just coming to terms with the fact she is now the wanted by the demonic army. She has been given a unique gift of being one of God's redeemed and thus her supernatural gift that before she was only able to use when holding an angelic halo. Now her vision is being honed in a remarkable way and she soon learns that prayers and scripture memorization have more power than she ever imagined. Will she be able to save those she loves while she learns something about her past that my break more than her spirit?

I received Broken Wings by Shannon Dittemore compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Tours for my honest review. I have not received any monetary compensation for a favorable review. I simply live for books like these since reading my first "Darkness" book from Frank Peretti! Shannon takes that a step further endowing her characters with a sense of frailty even though that have spiritual gifts that most of us would die to have. They fail to realize that the real power doesn't come from their gifts but from the God who created them and until they apply those same spiritual principles that are available to all of us, they remain weak despite their talents. I rate this one another 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to pick up Dark Halo that comes on in late 2013. I would highly recommend that you read, Angel Eyes before picking this one up or you will be completely lost at the concepts discussed that make this book so incredible to inhale.